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Morocco
Background :
In 788, about a century after the Arab conquest of North Africa, successive Moorish dynasties began to rule in Morocco. In the 16th century, the Sa'adi monarchy, particularly under Ahmad AL-MANSUR (1578-1603), repelled foreign invaders and inaugurated a golden age. In 1860, Spain occupied northern Morocco and ushered in a half century of trade rivalry among European powers that saw Morocco's sovereignty steadily erode; in 1912, the French imposed a protectorate over the country. A protracted independence struggle with France ended successfully in 1956. The internationalized city of Tangier and most Spanish possessions were turned over to the new country that same year. Morocco virtually annexed Western Sahara during the late 1970s, but final resolution on the status of the territory remains unresolved. Gradual political reforms in the 1990s resulted in the establishment of a bicameral legislature, which first met in 1997. The country has made improvements in human rights under King MOHAMMED VI and its press is moderately free, but the government occasionally takes action against journalists who report on three broad subjects considered to be taboo: the monarchy, Islam, and the status of Western Sahara. Despite the continuing reforms, ultimate authority remains in the hands of the monarch.
Location :
Northern Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, between Algeria and Western Sahara
Geographic Coordinates Center :
32 00 N, 5 00 W (Latitude, Longtitude)
Geographic Coordinates Rectangle :
| West | -13.17 |
| North | 35.93 |
| East | -0.99 |
| South | 27.66 |
Map references :
Africa
Area :
| total | 446 550 | square km |
| land | 446 300 | square km |
| water | 250 | square km |
Land boundaries :
| total | 2 017 | km |
| Algeria (dz) | 1 559 | km |
| Western Sahara (eh) | 443 | km |
| Spain (Ceuta) | 6 | km |
| Spain (Melilla) | 9 | km |
Coastline :
1835.00 km
Climate :
Mediterranean, becoming more extreme in the interior
Terrain :
northern coast and interior are mountainous with large areas of bordering plateaus, intermontane valleys, and rich coastal plains
Elevation extremes :
| lowest point | 55 | metres |
| highest point | 4 165 | metres |
Natural resources :
| fish | iron ore |
| lead | manganese |
| phosphates | salt |
| zinc |
Land use :
| arable land | 19.00 | % |
| permanent crops | 2.00 | % |
| other | 79.00 | % |
Irrigated land :
14 450 square km
Total renewable water resources :
29 cubic km
Natural hazards :
| earthquakes | periodic droughts |
current issues :
land degradation/desertification (soil erosion resulting from farming of marginal areas, overgrazing, destruction of vegetation); water supplies contaminated by raw sewage; siltation of reservoirs; oil pollution of coastal waters
international agreements :
| Biodiversity | Climate Change |
| Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol | Desertification |
| Endangered Species | Environmental Modification |
| Hazardous Wastes | Law of the Sea |
| Marine Dumping | Ozone Layer Protection |
| Ship Pollution | Wetlands |
| Whaling |
Population :
31 285 174
Indicators :
| Growth rate | 1.10 | % |
| Birth rate | 19.72 | births/1,000 population |
| Total fertility rate | 2.27 | children born/woman |
| Death rate | 4.74 | deaths/1,000 population |
| Net migration rate | -3.99 | migrant(s)/1,000 population |
Age structure :
| 0-14 years | 28.70 | % |
| 15-64 years | 65.40 | % |
| 65 years and over | 6.00 | % |
Median age :
| total | 25.00 | years |
| male | 24.50 | years |
| female | 25.60 | years |
Sex ratio :
| at birth | 1.05 | male(s)/female |
| under 15 years | 1.04 | male(s)/female |
| 15-64 years | 1.00 | male(s)/female |
| 65 years and over | 0.75 | male(s)/female |
| total population | 0.99 | male(s)/female |
Health :
| Infant mortality rate | 29.75 | deaths/1,000 live births |
| Life expectancy at birth - total population | 75.47 | years |
| Life expectancy at birth - male | 72.42 | years |
| Life expectancy at birth - female | 78.68 | years |
| HIV-AIDS adult prevalence rate | 0.10 | % |
| HIV-AIDS people living with HIV-AIDS | 21 000 | |
| HIV-AIDS deaths | 1 000 |
Religions :
| Muslim | 98.70 | % |
| Christian | 1.10 | % |
| Jewish | 0.20 | % |
Languages :
| Arabic | |
| Berber dialects | |
| French often the language of business |
Literacy :
| total population | 52.30 | % |
| male | 65.70 | % |
| female | 39.60 | % |
Country name :
| conventional long form | Kingdom of Morocco |
| conventional short form | Morocco |
| local long form | Al Mamlakah al Maghribiyah |
| local short form | Al Maghrib |
Country Codes :
| ISO 3166 | MA |
| ISO Numeric | 504 |
| ISO3 | MAR |
| FIPS | MO |
| ccTLD | ma |
| English | Morocco |
Administrative divisions :
15 regions; Grand Casablanca, Chaouia-Ouardigha, Doukkala-Abda, Fes-Boulemane, Gharb-Chrarda-Beni Hssen, Guelmim-Es Smara, Laayoune-Boujdour-Sakia El Hamra, Marrakech-Tensift-Al Haouz, Meknes-Tafilalet, Oriental, Rabat-Sale-Zemmour-Zaer, Souss-Massa-Draa, Tadla-Azilal, Tanger-Tetouan, Taza-Al Hoceima-Taounate|
Capital :
| name | Rabat |
| geographic coordinates | 34 01 N, 6 49 W |
| time difference | 0.00 |
International organization participation :
| ABEDA | AFESD |
| AMF | AMU |
| AfDB | EBRD |
| FAO | G-77 |
| IAEA | IBRD |
| ICAO | ICC |
| ICCt (signatory) | ICRM |
| IDA | IDB |
| IFAD | IFC |
| IFRCS | IHO |
| ILO | IMF |
| IMO | IMSO |
| IOC | IOM |
| IPU | ISO |
| ITSO | ITU |
| ITUC | Interpol |
| LAS | MIGA |
| MONUC | NAM |
| OAS (observer) | OIC |
| OIF | OPCW |
| OSCE (partner) | PCA |
| Paris Club (associate) | UN |
| UNCTAD | UNESCO |
| UNHCR | UNIDO |
| UNOCI | UNWTO |
| UPU | WCO |
| WFTU | WHO |
| WIPO | WMO |
| WTO |
Independence :
1956-03-02
National holiday :
Throne Day
1999-07-30
Executive branch :
| King MOHAMMED VI | Prime Minister Abbas EL FASSI |
GDP - Gross Domestic product :
| PPP - Purchasing Power Parity | 146 700 000 000 | $ |
| Official Exchange Rate | 90 780 000 000 | |
| RGR - Real Growth rate | 5.10 | % |
| PPP - per capita | 4 600 | $ |
GDP Composition by sector :
| agriculture | 18.80 | % |
| industry | 32.60 | % |
| services | 48.60 | % |
Labor force - by occupation :
| agriculture | 44.60 | % |
| industry | 19.80 | % |
| services | 35.50 | % |
Other Indicators :
| Labor force | 11 460 000 | people |
| Unemployment rate | 9.90 | % |
| Population below poverty line | 15.00 | % |
| Distribution of family income - Gini index | 40.90 | |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 2.00 | % |
| Investment (gross fixed) | 32.50 | % of GDP |
| Current account balance | - 3 795 000 000 | $ |
| Reserves of foreign exchange and gold | 21 540 000 000 | $ |
| Debt external | 20 060 000 000 | $ |
| Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad | 641 000 000 | $ |
| Stock of direct foreign investment - at home | 42 680 000 000 | $ |
| Market value of publicly traded shares | 65 750 000 000 | $ |
| Military expenditures | 5.00 | % of GDP |
| Public debt | 54.10 | % of GDP |
Household income or consumption by percentage share :
| lowest 10% | 2.70 | % |
| highest 10% | 33.20 | % |
Budget :
| revenues | 22 900 000 000 | $ |
| expenditures | 23 860 000 000 | $ |
Agriculture - products :
| barley | citrus |
| livestock | olives |
| vegetables | wheat |
| wine |
Industries :
| construction | energy |
| food processing | leather goods |
| phosphate rock mining and processing | textiles |
| tourism |
Energy :
| Electricity Production | 19 780 000 000 | kWh |
| Electricity Consumption | 20 780 000 000 | kWh |
| Electricity Imports | 3 429 000 000 | kWh |
| Oil Production | 4 310 | bbl/day |
| Oil Consumption | 187 000 | bbl/day |
| Oil Exports | 17 420 | bbl/day |
| Oil Imports | 195 800 | bbl/day |
| Oil Proved reserves | 750 000 | bbl |
| Natural gas Production | 60 000 000 | cubic metres |
| Natural gas Consumption | 560 000 000 | cubic metres |
| Natural gas Imports | 500 000 000 | cubic metres |
| Electricity Exports | 1 501 000 000 | cubic metres |
Value :
15 610 000 000 $
Partners :
| Spain (es) | 19.00 | % |
| France (fr) | 17.40 | % |
| Brazil (br) | 7.00 | % |
| United States (us) | 4.50 | % |
| Belgium (be) | 4.40 | % |
| Italy (it) | 4.20 | % |
Commodities :
| citrus | clothing and textiles |
| crude minerals | electric components |
| fertilizers | fish |
| inorganic chemicals | petroleum products |
| vegetables |
Value :
31 830 000 000 $
Partners :
| France (fr) | 16.20 | % |
| Spain (es) | 13.60 | % |
| Italy (it) | 6.50 | % |
| China (cn) | 6.10 | % |
| Germany (de) | 5.70 | % |
| Saudi Arabia (sa) | 5.40 | % |
| Moldova (md) | 5.00 | % |
Commodities :
| crude petroleum | gas and electricity |
| plastics | telecommunication equipment |
| textile fabrics | transistors |
| wheat |
Currency-code :
MAD
Currency-name :
Moroccan dirham
Communications :
| Telephons Main lines in use | 2 991 000 | |
| Telephons Mobile, Cellular | 22 816 000 | |
| FM Radio broadcast stations | 15 | |
| Television broadcast stations | 8 | |
| Internet Country code (ccTLD) | ma | |
| Internet Hosts | 276 521 | |
| Internet Users | 10 300 000 |
Transportation :
| Airports with paved runways | 32 | |
| Heliports | 1 | |
| Pipelines - gas | 830 | km |
| Pipelines - oil | 439 | km |
| Roadways - total | 57 625 | km |
| Roadways - expressways | 639 | km |
| Roadways - paved | 35 664 | km |
| Roadways - unpaved | 21 961 | km |
| Railways | 1 907 | km |
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